Caribbean Medical Schools

Caribbean Medical Schools

Welcome to the Caribbean Medical Schools Guide. I created this eBook because so many of my clients requested information on medical schools located in the Caribbean, and I could not find a comprehensive guide that provided up-to-date information on every Caribbean school in one easy to navigate location. The goal of this guide is to introduce you to the option of attending medical school in the Caribbean and provide the essential details of each school option.

The team at How To Be Pre-Med contacted each Caribbean medical school individually to obtain the latest demographic, curricula, cost, and application information. The information for each institution is laid out similarly so that you can easily compare your options.

I suggest your read the Caribbean Medical School Guide cover to cover initially so that you know every option available. Then go back to the schools that caught your eye and use the contact information to browse their website and contact the admissions office for any additional information you may want. These schools want to hear from you, so don’t be afraid to call or e-mail.

Introduction

Caribbean medical education is booming. Due to the competitive nature of US medical school admissions, with only 60% of applicants gaining admission each year, many pre-meds are looking to the Caribbean to start their medical career. Many pre-meds worry that attending medical school in the Caribbean will prevent them from being able to practice medicine in the US. This is certainly not the case for many Caribbean school students. For example, I currently work with multiple emergency physicians who attended medical school in the Caribbean. They have had similar careers to those who attended US schools.

If you wish to practice medicine in the United States, you have three options for medical school:

Foreign schools fall into two main categories. The first includes schools that have a relationship with US medical institutions. In general, you do the first two years of classroom learning abroad, and then return to the US for third and fourth year clinical rotations. These types of schools mostly reside in the Caribbean. The easiest way to return from abroad and match in a US-based residency is to attend this type of school because, in most instances, you are not categorized as a foreign graduate.

In the other type of foreign medical schools, you complete all education abroad and can return to the US by taking the USMLE boards and applying as a foreign graduate to US residency programs. This is a more difficult path to practicing medicine in the US because residency programs give preference to graduates of both US medical schools and foreign schools with a US affiliation. Remember, completing a US-based residency is often the only way to practice medicine in the US. Exceptions exist, of course, but they are few and far between.

You cannot apply to Caribbean Medical Schools (PDF) through the AMCAS application used for US allopathic schools. Each Caribbean school has a unique application and often very different application timing than US medical schools. This makes for a taxing application process. We have tried to ease your workload by creating this guide that lays out the application requirements and processes of each school.

As you will see in this guide, some Caribbean medical schools have long histories and strong records of getting applicants into US-based residencies. Other institutions have realized the need for more medical school seats and are either starting new medical schools or adding medical programs to their universities to meet the ever-growing demand for medical school seats.

When you are researching Caribbean schools, it is important to know the answers to the following questions:

1. Does the school have a relationship with any US medical institutions?

*2. What degree is granted?

3. Are you considered a “foreign” graduate by the NRMC?

*How are you accredited?

4. Are there any requirements to practice medicine in the school’s country after graduation?

*5. Where do students complete basic science classes (first and second years)?

*6. Where do students perform clinical rotations (third and fourth years)?

*What is the curriculum?

*7. When do school sessions begin and end?

*8. Do multiple start dates exist?

*9. How many students are in each class?

*9. What are the application requirements?

*Is the MCAT required?

*10. What are the application deadlines?

11. May I see a residency match list?

12. Are the students matching in US-based residencies?

13. In which specialties are the students matching?

14. What is the match rate?

*14. Do students take the USMLE exams? If so, where?

*15. Is there any formalized USMLE exam preparation offered by the school?

*USMLE pass rate?

*16. What are the costs and do they vary by the students’ home countries and clinical vs. basic science years?

*17. Is financial aid available?

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Dr. Miller provided phenomenal advice when writing my personal statement (ie. how to package myself as a candidate), helped me to understand the position my MCAT score would put me in in terms of the schools I was applying to, and assisted in organizing and structuring my activities list on the AMCAS. Most importantly, she was instrumental in explaining to me proper correspondence with admissions officers (how much to say and when to say it) – one of the trickier/more nuanced parts of the…AHNYU

Without exaggeration, Dr. Miller was pivotal to my getting accepted to medical school.ESDartmouth

Dr. Miller is an ace in navigating the medical school admissions process. She has a lot of insider knowledge regarding everything from studying for the MCAT to writing an excellent personal statement to producing impeccable applications.JGVanderbilt

As a very non-traditional student, I had tremendous doubts that I would be accepted at a US medical school. Thanks to Suzie’s help, I’m now at a ‘top-ten’ medical school. As a student member of the admissions committee, I am reading applications and interviewing students. I see even well qualified candidates make mistakes that Suzie steered me away from. Each time I talk to an applicant, I silently thank Suzie for her help.MP, UniversityMichigan

Dr. Miller is by far the best admissions consultant out there. I have used the essay editing and consulting services of many of the well-known companies on the Internet and they were far inferior to what I received from Dr. Miller. The people at these other companies simply don’t know the medical school application process and this is crucial. Dr. Miller knows this process inside and out and will help you present your application in the best light and avoid costly mistakes. With the…JKUC Irvine

I had almost given up on medical school after two previous unsuccessful applications, but working with Dr. Miller made all the difference this time around. She KNOWS what the admissions committee is looking for, and more importantly, HOW to communicate one’s desire to become a doctor. The latter point is crucial. I had the usual research and volunteer activities similar to the majority of applicants, and not even my GPA and MCAT scores were that remarkable. But with Dr. Miller’s…DJTufts

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Dr. Millers Credentials

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